Knitting Hats for Charity: Find Out Who Needs Your Knitted or Crocheted Hats

Do you love to knit or crochet? Many us enjoy the truly therapeutic experience of sitting and knitting or crocheting quietly alone or while chatting with friends. Whether you’re a super senior or a terrific teen or any age in between, there are plenty of charities out there that would love to have you share your time, talents and handmade yarn crafts. There are so many charities in need that collect hats, scarves, mittens and blankets and not just at Christmas time. Hats off to these charities that are collecting hats.


1. Hats for preemies and newborns:
Most people are familiar with the preemie baby hat collections and newborn baby hat collections at hospitals and it is a very worthy cause to create one of the first warm touches a precious new life will feel. Check with the auxiliary of your local hospitals to see what they need and how you can help.

2. Hats for cancer patients: The American Cancer Society provides chemo caps for women going through treatments for breast cancer or you can visit the Chemo Caps website for free patterns and to learn how to donate in honor of the Heather Spoll No Hair Day Program. You can also check with your local cancer treatment center directly to see if you or your craft group can help provide knit hats for chemo patients.

3. Hats for the homeless: Many homeless shelters, food kitchens, domestic violence centers and social service agencies collect knitted or crocheted hats for men, women and children for winter. Contact local agencies directly to learn the number and sizes needed.

What about knit hats for soldiers?

If you’re searching online you’ll likely find pleas for knitted hats for soldiers reminding you that our soldiers serve in places where it can get really cold. I found many request for knit hats for soldiers that touched my heart but when I kept digging, I also found those who had updated their websites saying that the groups supporting soldiers had more knit hats than they could distribute. Then I found this important message from Sarah White about.com knitting guide you should read before you knit hats for soldiers.

“I recently got an e-mail from a crafter who had been part of a group knitting hats for soldiers in Iraq. They sent off a shipment only to learn later than the soldiers really only want black hats and they can only wear them around the barracks.

They were told that the military doesn’t want any kind of clothing that makes one soldier stand out or makes soldiers in general stand out. Those items might mark the wearers as targets or even cause insurgents to duplicate the item in order to try to blend in with the soldiers,” from about.com.”

How can you find a group near you that makes, meets or collects knitted or crocheted hats?

Your local library, churches, hospitals, social service agencies or yarn stores are a good source for finding charities that are collecting handmade goods. It’s easier to donate locally but you may also find a group that you craft with locally.

You can also search on line with a very user-friendly charity finder at the Lions Brand Yarn website.

Simply type in the name of a charity or a handmade product, your zip code and the radius you are willing to travel and you’ll get a list of charities that are looking for help to supply handmade items for those in need of warmth or comfort.

The Lions Brand Yarn website also offers free knit patterns and free crochet patterns for hats and dozens of other handmade crafts.

You don’t have to wait for cold weather to begin knitting or crocheting hats for charity. By winter, you can a great warm feeling from sharing your time and talents.


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